South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park + Roadrunner Loop
San Angelo State Park
- 3/25/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 9.90 Miles
Duration: 5 hours
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > Lanky Lackey > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 4.0 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > Winding Snake > Chaparral >Playground parking area 2.8 miles
Leg 3 - Playground parking area > Roadrunner Loop > Playground parking area 3.1 miles
Temps started at 69, ended at 84. Sunny with a steady Southerly 10 mph breeze. Slight humidity.
Mileage based on prior hike - no pedometer today!
Easy hike along familiar trails. Quite a few deer were out including a younger one or two. Birds were singing for mates and a few high flying pairs of cormoronts and Great Blue Herons were heading North. Not much to see except another sign Spring has arrived - the bee brush(bush) has started to bloom on some of the bushes along Tasajilla Flats and Roadrunner Trails (photo attached). The faint scent of vanilla combined with the scent of the agarita blooms on nearby plants was a pleasure to enjoy.
SPECIAL INFO - today was the first time in a few years I had a rattlesnake encounter. It happened on the last mile of Roadrunner loop near the gatehouse. I was hiking back to Playground when I heard a "buzzing" sound coming from the left. My first thought was to look at the nearby mesquite for a cicada and wondered why it was out so early. The buzzing increased and I quickly realized it was a rattler but I didn't see him. I moved as far to the right as possible and hurriedly walk away until the noise abatted. Curious, I slowly walked back and as I did the ratttling increased so I stopped and finally saw the 3-4 foot long snake - he was coiled into a strike pose about 10 feet away from me hidden in the shaded grass near the left edge of the trail. I backed away again until he stopped rattling and watched as he uncoiled and slowly made his way to the mesquite tree.
I was near the gatehouse and reported it to the rangers. They said mine was the third report this week - and today is Wednesday! ALWAYS watch where you place your feet!!!
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park trailhead. Be advised the water hose needs to be gripped near the base otherwise you will be sprayed as it has a crack in it.
Water and shade are available at various campsites along Roadrunner Loop. There are three areas with water, shade, info kiosks and toilets available at various place along Roadrunner Loop.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Figure 8
San Angelo State Park
- 3/20/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 8.40 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Roller Coaster > West Potts Creek > Potts Creek (E) > Playground > Bell's Point > Playground (N) > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 4.5 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (E) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.9 miles
Temps started at 59, ended at 84. Sunny with a steady SSW 10mph breeze.
Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. Deer and a few cottontail rabbits were spotted as I drove to Burkett Park but no other animals were seen. A few birds were out but even though they were singing for mates, they weren't readily visible to photograph. Spring started today and the mesquites are showing their lime green fronds (photo attached). A few flowers are out and some of the Lace Cactus have buds that will soon flower. The San Angelo Road Lizards are prepping the trails for an event and there was a lot of tape and signs marking the trails.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk are available at Bell's Point. IMPORTANT - as of this date (03-20-26) there is NO WATER AT BELL'S POINT.
Water, shade, info kiosk and, as of this date, portable toilets are available at 5 Points Junction. The portable toilets ARE TEMPORARY and will be removed soon after the Road Lizards event.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Short Loop
San Angelo State Park
- 3/15/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 6.60 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking rarea > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 3.2 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Horhy Toad > Talley Valley > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.4 miles
Temp started at 69, ended at 84. Sunny and clear with very STRONG winds (15-30mph).
Easy to see and traverse trails. Deer, a lone javelina and some birds were out but most stayed in place because of the winds. Right at the beginning of the hike, a loud Roadrunner was either squawking at me or looking for a mate (photo attached). Other birds were singing but the majority stayed low and out of the wind. The mesquites are leafing out with lime green fronds. There will be an unusually cold weather front moving in tonight with temps expected to be 33 degrees - VERY different from the norm and not good for the just budding bushes and leafing trees.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground pakring area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets are available at Burkett Park. IMPORTANT - as of this writing the water at Burkett Park is ON.
South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park - Figure 8
San Angelo State Park
- 3/6/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.70 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Leg 1 - Playground parking area > Tasajilla Flats > Nature Trail > park road to Isabell Harte > Winding Snake > Burkett Park 4.5 miles
Leg 2 - Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > park road to Isabel Harte > Chaparral > Playground parking area 3.2 miles
Temp started at 60, ended at 80. Steady 15-20mph SW winds. Cloudy then partly cloudy.
Easy hike along familiar trails in a different manner. No animals were spotted and the few birds seen were staying low to the ground because of the heavy, steady winds. No other trail users were spotted. The only thing to report is that the agarita bushes are beginning to bloom and spill their fragrant scent into the air (photo attached).
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bicycle repair station are available at Playground parking area.
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park - IMPORTANT - WATER IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
Park Mid-section - Burkett Park to 5 Points Junction Loop
San Angelo State Park
- 2/27/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.70 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
Leg 1 - Burkett Park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek > Playground Trail > Bell's Point > Playground Trail (N) > Flintstone > 5 Points Junction 3.5 miles
Leg 2 - 5 Points Junction > Turkey Creek > Potts Creek (W) > West Potts Creek > Roller Coaster > WS to LL Connector > Burkett Park 4.2 miles
Temp started at 49, ended at 73. Sunny with intermitent SSW 5-10mph breeze.
Easy hike along dry, easy to see and traverse trails. A few deer and a solitary javelina were spotted. A few birds were singing for mates but otherwise there was no animal or bird activity. A few agarita bushes are putting out a few flowers and the smell is very nice! Nothing much to report otherwise except in the notes below.
NOTES -
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk available at Bell's Point.
Water,shade, and info kiosk available at 5 Points Junction.
SPECIAL NOTE - as of today (Feb 27, 2026) water IS NOT AVAILABLE at any of the locations. Unknown when it will become available.